ENTERTAINMENT
Who is Regina King? Get to know the actress in Netflix’s ‘Shirley’
Here’s everything you need to know about the ‘Shirley’ actress.
Every new Netflix film brings with it large numbers of excited fans and, when the story is this fascinating as in Shirley, that number is even more staggering. Netflix’s new project presents the incredible 1972 presidential campaign of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress. Regina King is the star, along with Lance Reddick, and Terrence Howard. It will be released on 22 March, 2024.
But who is Regina King? Such a large career path has given her one of the most recognisable faces in the industry and her name appears on huge projects for both film and television. But what is her story? Let’s take a look.
What films has Regina King starred in?
Regina King was born Regina Rene King in 1971 in Los Angeles California to a teacher and an electrician. King realised she had a passion for acting when she dropped out of university and left her communications studies to pursue her new career. Her first role came in 1985, when she played the role of Brenda Jenkins on the television series 227.
From there she featured in various projects including the hit comedy Friday and it was for her role in the romantic comedy film Jerry Maguire as Marcee Tidwell that saw her become a famous name in the business.
Just before the turn of the Millennium, King was nominated for an NAACP Award for her role in Enemy of the State and finally got her hands on the prize in the early part of the new decade for her portrayal of Margie Hendrix in Ray.
What is Regina King’s net worth?
The 53-year-old actress, who stands at 5 ft 2 in (1.6 m), is said to be worth around $16 million.
From here, King continued to find success in her career and played Detective Lydia Adams in TNT police drama Southland between 2009 and 2013. Roles in RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Big Bang Theory and Shameless all saw King become an established actress at the top, with more awards coming her way.
In 2018 King moved onto Netflix projects, and played the mother of a murdered black teenager in the series Seven Seconds, where she claimed her third Primetime Emmy Award. Over the past decade, King has also dipped her toes into directing, having overseen episodes of projects such as Southland, This is Us and The Good Doctor.